Display stand



Oct. 31, 1950 c. RICHARDS 2,528,388

DISPLAY STAND Filed April 9, 1949 IN V EN TOR.

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ywemcm ATTORA/EV Patented Oct. 31, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEDISPLAY STAND Charles Richards, Quincy, Mass.

Application April 9, 1949, Serial No. 86,544

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a display stand for displaying dishes such asa cup and saucer or the like.

The invention has for an object to provide a novel and attractivedisplay stand for supporting a dishsuch as a saucer alone or for supporting a cup and saucer as a unit in a manner such that the ornamentalor decorative portions of the cup and saucer may be most effectively.displayed and which is simple in structure and may be economicallymanufactured.

With this general object in view and such others as may hereinafterappear, the invention consists in the display stand hereinafter described and particularly defined in the claims at the end of thisspecification.

In the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention,Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a display stand for a cup and saucerembodying the present invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of thedisplay stand shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a plan view in cross section,taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of amodified form of displa stand embodying the present invention designedfor displaying a saucer alone, and Fig. 5 is a side elevation of thedisplay stand shown in Fig. 4.

In general, the present invention contemplates a novel and improveddisplay. stand or holder adapted to rest on a flat surface such as atable or shelf, having provision for supporting a circular dish or platesuch as a saucer on edge in a slightly tilted position for displaypurposes in a safe and evenly balanced manner. Provision is also madefor supporting or suspending a cup in a position relative to the saucerso that the ornamentation of the cup and saucer may be most effectivelydisplayed for sales and ornamental purposes.

To this end, the present display stand comprises a sheet metal frame oreasel structure having a central longitudinally extended and rearwardlyinclined back rest member provided at its lower end with a transverselyextended base forming the forward support for the structure, and a rearbrace or strut forming the rear sup port having forwardly extendeddiverging arms connected to and extending beyond the upper edge of thebase, between which the lower rim portionof a plate or saucer issupported on edge at a slight angle from the vertical, the whole beingproportioned so as to provide a safely balanced structure designed toprevent inadvertent tipping of the unit or displacement of the platefrom its support. In order to display the cup in which the cup may besuspended by its handle in a position in front of and substantiallycentrally'of the face of the saucer so that the ornamentation along themarginal portions of the saucer and on the side of the cup may be mosteffectivel displayed.

In a'modified form of the invention the central back rest member isshaped to accommodate dishes or plates of varying depths, or may be usedfor supporting a plate of larger diameter in an inclined position fordisplay purposes, the back rest in the modified form engaging the backof the plate at a single point.

Referring now to the drawings, the embodiment of the inventionillustrated in Fig. 1 comprises adisplay stand or holder for supportinga cup and saucer and includes a central longitudinally ex' tended andrearwardly inclined back rest member or upright l0 having a transverselyextended base member l2 at its lower end forming the forward support forthe unit, and an angle strut or brace having a leg I4 connected at itsupper end to the back of the upright portion 10 and. forming the rearsupporting leg for the unit,

The second leg [6 of the angle brace is bent and extended forwardly fromthe lower end of the leg l4 and at an upwardly inclined angle, the forward portion of the leg I 6 being slit longitudinally and spread apartin a V-shape to form two arms I8, 20 arranged to straddle the centralback rest member I0 and to be connected at spaced points to the upperedge of the transversely extended base member I 2. The V-shaped arms I8,20 extend diagonally beyond the edge of the base member I2 and formsupporting arms,

for the rim of the plate or saucer at spaced points, the outer end ofeach arm being bent upwardly substantially at right angles to the armsto form retaining ledges 22 for the rim of the saucer. The upper end ofthe central upright member ID is provided with a forwardly anddownwardly extended loop portion 24 having an upwardly bent hook portion25 at its free end from which a cup may be suspended by its handle in amanner such as to dispose the cup in a position substantially centrallyof the saucer, as illustrated in dotted lines in Figs. land 2.

, In practice,'the present display stand may be economicallymanufactured from relatively thin sheet metal strips such as sheetbrass, the centrally disposed back rest portion l0 and the integralangle brace portions I 4, I6 comprising either side of the centralldisposed upright member it which is connected to the base at a pointadjacent the apex of the triangle. In assembling the display stand, theupright back rest member I0 may be soldered or otherwise secured at itslower end to the back of the fiat sheet metal base plate l2, and theupper end of the leg 14 of the angle brace may be likewise soldered tothe back of the upright member ID at a point adjacent the upper endthereof. The forwardly and angularly extended arms I8, 20 may rest onhorizontal cut out edge portions of the downwardly inclined sides of thebase member l2 and may also be soldered thereto to form an integraltriangular shaped supporting structure defined by the sides 16, M and I6having a transversely extended forward support l2.

From the description above of the embodiment of the inventionillustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, it will be observed that the saucer issuppor ed in the stand between the arms I8, 20 which engage the saucerat spaced points along its periphery, and the back of the saucer restssub stantially flat in a rearwardly inclined position against thecentral back rest member it! thus providing a three point bearing orsupport for the plate. In practice, the weight of the saucer in itstilted position is arranged to urge the lower edge of the rim forwardlyon its upwardly inclined supporting arms I8, 20 and into engagement withthe retaining ledges 22. The angle at which the plate is supported ismade sufficient so that when the stand is placed on a table the displayis disposed substantially at right angles to the line of vision of theobserver, and in the illustrated embodiment of the invention is shown asinclined approximately twenty-five degrees from a line perpendicular tothe table. It will also be observed that the hook portion 26 for the cupis disposed within a space defined by a vertical line drawn from theforward lower edge of the base plate I2 when viewed in side elevation,see Fig. 2, and is disposed relative to the back rest It so that theside of the cup may rest against the face of the saucer andsubstantially centrally thereof so as to enable the observer to view thedecorations on the cup and saucer together. The length of the transversebase plate l2 and the perpendicular distance from the forward edge ofthe base to the lower end of the rear supporting le M is suflicientlgreat to provide a balanced structure and the inclined supporting memberID and hook 26 are proportioned relative to the base and rear support sothat the weight of the cup and saucer will be distributed to maintain astate of equilibrium. It will also be observed that the outer ends ofthe forward support plate It and the lower end of the rear support leg Mform a three point bearing support for the unit thus eliminatin rockingor uneven balance of the stand.

In the embodiment of the display stand illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5,which is designed to support a plate or saucer alone, the structureshown is substantially similar to the structure above described exceptthat the back rest portion is formed in a modified S-shape having aconcave portion 33 between the triangular base member 32 and the upperend of the rear supporting leg 3 and a convex portion 36 extendingbeyond the upper end of the leg 34. This construction is designed toaccommodate a relatively deep dish or saucer, the concave portionproviding clearance for the back of the dish or the modified design mayaccommodate a plate or saucer of larger diameter, and in either event,the rear face of the dish or plate is arranged to be engaged only at apoint along the convex portion 3'5 of the back rest, the lower edge ofthe rim being supported between the spaced arms 38 to provide a threepoint bearing support for the dish. It will be apparent that thestructure shown in Figs. 4 and 5 may be modified to also support a cupby extendin the S-shaped back rest and bending the same to form a hooksimilar to that shown in Fig. 2.

From the above description it will be observed that the present displaystand is simple in construction and lends itself to manufacture atminimum expense. It will also be observed that the design andproportions of the display stand are such as to ensure stability of theunit and such as to enable display of a cup and saucer so that theornamentation and design of the cup and saucer may be convenientlyviewed together as a unit in a safe and evenly balanced manner.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been hereinillustrated and described, it will be understood that the invention maybe embodied in other forms within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

l. A display stand of the character described, comprising a singlelongitudinally extended and rearwardly inclined back rest member havinga transversely extended base member at its lower end, a single rearsupporting strut secured to said back rest, and a pair of forwardlyextended and upwardly inclined rim engaging and retaining arms extendedfrom the lower end of said rear strut to and beyond the upper edge ofsaid base member.

2. A display stand of the character described, comprising a singlelongitudinally extended and rearwardly inclined back rest member havinga transversely extended base portion at its lower end, a single rearsupporting strut for said back rest member, and a pair of spaced rimengaging arms extended forwardly and upwardly from the lower end of saidrear strut to and beyond the upper edge of said base portion, and meansformed integrall with said back rest member for suspending a cup infront of and substantially centrally of a saucer supported by said armsand said back rest member.

3. A display stand of the character described, comprising alongitudinally extended and rearwardly inclined back rest member havinga transversely extended base member at its lower end, a rear supportingstrut secured to said back rest, and a pair of forwardly extended andupwardly inclined rim engaging and retaining arms extended from thelower end of said rear strut to and beyond the upper edge of said basemember, said back rest member comprising a relatively arms;

4. A display stand of the character described, comprising alongitudinally extended and rearwardly inclined back rest member havinga transversely extended base member at its lower end, a rear supportingstrut secured to said back rest, and a pair of forwardly extendedand'upwardly inclined rim engaging and retaining arms extended from thelower end of said rear strut to and beyond the upper edge of said basemember, said back rest member comprising a relativel narrow andreversely curved strip having a convex portion at its upper end againstwhich the back of a saucer may rest when supported between said arms.

5. A display stand of the character described, comprising a relativelynarrow sheet metal strip frame structure including a centrallongitudinally extended and rearwardly inclined back rest strip having atransversely extendedsheet metal base member resting on edge secured tothe lower end of said back rest and extended equidistant on each sidethereof, an angle brace member having a rear supporting leg secured tothe back rest, the lower end of said rear leg being bent forwardly andupwardly and longitudinally slit for a portion of its length, the slitportions being spread apart to form two diagonally extended and spacedrim engaging and retaining arms secured to and extended beyond the upperedge of said base member.

6. A. display stand of the character described, comprising a relativelynarrow sheet metal strip frame structure including a centrallongitudinally extended and rearwardly inclined back rest strip having atransversely extended sheet metal base member resting on edge secured tothe lower end of said back rest and extended equidistant on each sidethereof, an angle brace member having a rear supporting leg secured tothe back rest, the lower end of said rear leg being bent forwardly andupwardly and longitudinally slit for a portion of its length, the slitportions being spread apart to form two diagonally extended and spacedrim engaging and retaining arms secured to and extended beyond the upperedge of said base member, the upper end. of said back rest member beingforwardly looped and provided with a hook at its free end disposed tosuspend a cup by its handle in front of and substantially centrally of asaucer supported by said arms and said back rest member.

CHARLES RICHARDS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 396,362 Marks Jan. 15, 1889687,020 .Hallenberg Nov. 19, 1901 741,663 Hexom et al. Oct. 20, 1903743,048 Suffern Nov. 3, 1903 1,225,462 Jones May 8, 1917 1,542,672 CrapoJune 16, 1925 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 20,566 Great BritainSept. 9, 1913

